The separation of state and church must be complemented by the separation of state and science, that most recent, most aggressive, and most dogmatic religious institution.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the need to separate science from state influence, just as religion is separated.
Paul Feyerabend argues that science has become a dominant and dogmatic institution akin to religion, suggesting that just as there should be a separation of church and state, we must also ensure that the state does not unduly influence or control scientific inquiry. This reflects his broader critique of institutions that wield power over knowledge and belief systems.
In practice
In a debate about the role of science in government policy, this quote can highlight the importance of keeping science independent.
The idea of a method that contains firm, unchanging, and absolutely binding principles for conducting the business of science meets considerable difficulty when confronted with the results of historical research. We find, then, that there is not a single rule, however plausible, and however firmly grounded in epistemology, that is not violated at some time or another.
Science is essentially an anarchic enterprise: theoretical anarchism is more humanitarian and more likely to encourage progress than its law-and-order alternatives.
No theory ever agrees with all the facts in its domain, yet it is not always the theory that is to blame. Facts are constituted by older ideologies, and a clash between facts and theories may be proof of progress. It is also a first step in our attempt to find the principles implicit in familiar observational notions.
The only absolute truth is that there are no absolute truths.
Science is only βoneβ of the many instruments people invented to cope with their surroundings. It is not the only one, it is not infallible and it has become too powerful, too pushy and too dangerous to be left on its own.
The separation of science and non-science is not only artificial but also detrimental to the advancement of knowledge. If we want to understand nature, if we want to master our physical surroundings, then we must use all ideas, all methods, and not just a small selection of them.
I saw a man clothed with rags . . . a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back.
The sole ultimate factor in human decisions is physical force. This we must learn, however repugnant the idea may seem, if we are to protect ourselves and our institutions. Reliance on anything else is fallacious and ruinous.
It seems to me that any full grown, mature adult would have a desire to be responsible, to help where he can in a world that needs so very much, that threatens us so very much.
As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me.
This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.
The hatred and contempt for men, women and children that was manifested in the Shoah was a crime against God and against humanity.
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